Roman Coins The Physicians tamper with him They leave him to Kitchin Physick Goes into the Country Dies Persons attending his Funerals Buried His Monument His Lady dies His Person described CHAP. XVI His last Will. Makes his Will For the finishing his House and Monument To his Lady For preserving good Housekeeping To his Brother His Library to Queen's College or Peter-House Books to his Friends A Cup to the Queen In case of Doubt arising in the Will His Executors The Date of his Will CHAP. XVII Observations upon Sir Thomas Smith His Learning A Platonick A Physician His Recipe for the Plague His Chymical Water sent to the Countess of Oxford His Matthiolus A Chymist A Mathematician An Arithmetician An Astronomer His Iudgment of the Star in Cassiopaeia A Politician A Linguist An Historian An Orator An Architect His Library Books by him written A great Iudge in Learning His Acquaintance The Vogue of his Learning Beneficial to Learning His Places His houses in Chanon-Row In London At Ankerwick Mounthaut His heir Sir William Smith CHAP. XVIII Sir Thomas Smith 's Vertuous Accomplishments His Religion His Principles by which he governed himself His Vertues Vices falsely charged on him His Spirit His Apparel Not oppressive Of an universal Charity His Apophthegms Leland's Copy of Verses to Smith Dr. Byng's Epitaph on him THE LIFE Of the Learned Sir THOMAS SMITH Kt. CHAP. I. Sir THOMAS SMITH's Birth Parentage and Education THE Learned Sir THOMAS SMITH sometimes Secretary of State to K. Edward VI. and afterward to Q. Elizabeth was born at Walden in the County of Essex distinguish'd by the Name of SAFFRON Walden the Lands of that Parish and the Parts adjacent being famous for the Growth of the useful Medicinal Plant whether first brought thither by this Knight's Industry being a great Planter I know not for it was first brought into England as we are told in the Reign of K. Edward III. According to Cambden who writes that Sir Thomas Smith died Anno 1577. in his Climacteric he must have been born in the Year 1514. According to Fox who in his Relation of an Evidence given by the said Knight in February Anno 1551 against Bishop Gardiner assigned his Age then to be Three and Thirty he must have been born in the Year 1518. But himself putteth his Age out of doubt in his Book of the English Commonwealth where he saith that March the 28th 1565 he was in the One and Fiftieth Year of his Age. By which Computation he must have come into the World in the Year 1512. a Year famous to England for building of a Ship the biggest that ever the Sea bore And by the Inscription on his Monument it appears he departed this Life in the 65th Year of his Age. So that Cambden made him Two Years younger than he was and Fox Five unless we should say the Figure 33 is mis-printed for 39 a Fault too common in his Books Our Knight's Father was Iohn Smith of Walden Gentleman a Person of good Rank Quality and Wealth Of which we may take some Measure from two Purchases he made of K. Edward in one Year viz. the Third of his Reign that is to say a Chauntry in the Church of Long Ashton in Somersetshire with other Lands Tenements and Hereditaments in the Counties of Somerset and Glocester which cost him 293 l. 16. s. 8 d. His other Purchase was all the Guild or Fraternity in Great Walden lately dissolved with divers other Lands and Tenements in Essex and London For which he with another Joint-Purchaser paid 531 l. 14 s. 11 d. Of which Fraternity of Walden this by the way must be remembered for the Honour of it that in a Grant made to it by K. Henry VIII as he willed there That he might evermore be remembred in their perpetual Prayers so he charitably desired that he might be admitted a Brother thereof and his dear Wife Q. Katherine to be a Sister And divers others are expressed there to be desirous to be admitted to the same as the Right Worshipful Dr. Wolsey Almoner to the King Richard Nix Bishop of Norwich Henry Earl of Essex and his Lady Lord Brook Chief Justice of England Sir Iohn Cutts Sir Tho. Semer and divers other Gentlemen and Ladies This Iohn Smith if we look further back was in the 30th of King Henry VIII High Sheriff of the Counties of Essex and Hertford For in those Times one Sheriff served both Counties In the year 1545. and the 35th of K. Henry aforesaid his Coat of Arms was granted him by the principal King of Arms or rather confirmed For the said King's Parent specifies That he was descended of honest Lineage and his Ancestors had long continued in Nobility and bearing of Arms and that it was Mr. Smith's Desire that the King of Arms would ratifie unto him his former Coat and Register it in the Records of his Office The Coat therefore granted annexed and attributed unto him was Sables a Fesse Dauncy between three Lionceux regardant Argent Languid Gules pawing with their Left Paws upon as many Altars flaming and burning thereon for that these were Anvils as some have thought alluding to the Name of Smith is a Fancy Upon the Fesse Nine Billets of his Field The Crest an Eagle rising Sable holding in his Right Claw a Pen Argent Flames of Fire issuing thereout This Crest Sir Thomas changed upon a notable Reason as we shall relate in due place Of this Coat of Arms I have laid a Copy of the Original Patent in the Appendix which is in Parchment very well adorned round about with Pictures of Rosâ—â— and Flowers de Lys and the Lively Efsigies of Garter arrayed in his rich Coat standing with a white Wand in his Hand and a Crown on his Head and the Coat of Smith blazonâ—d on the right side of him and pointâ—d to by the said white Wand I have but one thing more to say of this Gentleman and that is That he was an old Favourer of the Religion Reformed in which he brought up his Son Thomas from his Youth He lies buried in the Church of Walden where his Monument is yet remaining that is so much of it as contains his Coat of Arms but the Brass that bore the inscription torn off This for Sir Thomas's Father His Parentagâ— on his Mother's side was also Genule being derived from the ancient Name of the Châ—â—â—ecks of Lancashire his Mother Agnes being a Daughter and Co-heir of that Family By this Gentlewoman Iohn Smith had Issue divers Children of both Sexes viz. Four Daughters Agnes and Margery Alice and Iane which two last were married and three Sons Thomas Iohn and George The Posterity of which last flourish to this Day in Wealth and Honour and possess the Seat and Inheritance of Thomas the Subject of our ensuing History with great Improvements of the Estate Tho' no more Sons are express'd in the Roll
those that should succeed him of a long time were like to take to Learning he gave all his Latin and Greek Books to Queens College in Cambridge where he had been brought up and his great Globe of his own making but so that the Master and Fellows having Warning so soon as he was dead or at the least so soon as he was Buried or before the which he willed they should have with a true Inventory carried to them of his said Books sent Carts to fetch them away within Tenor Twelve Days And these he gave also upon Condition that they chained them up in their Library or did distribute them among the Fellows such as would best Occupy them But so that they did it by Indenture and Condition that when they departed from the College they restored them to the College again But in case the Master and Fellows of the said College would not fetch them away sending some careful Man to see them well trussed and packed then he gave them to Peter House upon like Condition If neither of them would do it then he Willed his Executors to Sell or use them at their Discretion But yet of many of his Books he made gifts to his Learned Friends or Scholars at the University As to Mr. Shaw Parson of the Parish wherein he lived Chrysostoms Works in five Volumes Origen in two Volumes Luthers Works Bucer Galatinus Felvus super Psaltcrium Pet. Martyr in lib. Iudicum And as he gave these Divinity Books to a Divine so to one Tho. Crow a Physician whom he called his Servant he gave these Books of Galen de Compositione Medicamentâ—rum de Alimentorum Facultatibus Methodus Melendi Petrus Pena de Herbis Antidotarium speciale Turners Herbal Fallopii Opera Rendelâ—tius And besides these he gave him the Monument of Martyrs in two Volumnes and a Latin Bible in Quarto Gilded Also to Sir Clement Smith so called I suppose because he was in Priests Orders then a Resident of Queens College and the same I conjecture with him that was after Doctor of Divinity a Younger Son of his Brother George he gave or rather lent itus Livius Aristotle in Greek and Plato in Greek and Latin Tullies Works and Ten more of his Books which the said Clement would chuse on Condition that when he went away from the College he should restore them to the College again He gave a standing Massy Cup which had the Seven Planets in the Cover to the Queen as most worthy having all the good Gifts endued by God which he ascribed to the Seven Planets they be the Words of the Will Praying her Majesty to take that simple gift in good worth as coming from her Faithful and Loving Subject And in case of any Ambiguity or Doubt arising in any part of his Will he gave Authority to his Executors to add to it to make it more plain with good Advice so that they kept the true meaning and sense And then himself gave a general Explanation of one chief Part of his Will namely That he would have him that should enjoy the House and Mannor of Theydon at Mount to be able to keep House there to the Relief of the Poor and to set Neighbours at Work But if the Executors could not reconcile some Ambiguity that might happen in his Will that then they should stand to the Decision and Judgment of his Cosen Nicols a Lawyer Mr. Henry Archer a worthy Gentleman of the Parish of Theydon Garnons afterwards Living and Dying at Low Leyton and Parson Shaw aforementioned whom he made Supervisors of his Will Which he did in a great point of Wisdom to avoid Controversies of Law Which oftentimes break Friendship and swallow up an Estate so contended for He made his Youngest Brother George Smith who had several Children and his Nephew by his Sister Iohn Wood his Executors This Will is said to be reviewed and corrected by him after the Death of his Nephew William Smith of Walden the Son as it seems of his second Brother Iohn Smith Febr. 18. 1576. when he Signed with his Hand every Page All his Manors Lands and Tenements he had already given by Indenture made between him on the one part and Francis Walsingham Secretary to the Queen Iames Altham Henry Archer Esquires Humphrey Mitchel and his Nephew Iohn Wood on the other Part bearing date Febr. 4th in the 19th year of the Queen This Will was proved 15. Aug. 1577. before Tho Yale by Iohn Wood that is three days after Sir Thomas's Death And by George Smith not before May 14. 1578. I do not meet with many Bequests of Charity in this Will because those Acts he seemed to have done as the wisest and surest Course in his Life time when himself might see them truly and justly performed CHAP. XVII Observations upon Sir Thomas Smith NOW to make a few Observations upon this Wise and Learned Gentleman And first Of his Learning For he was one of the greatest Scholars of his Age and one of those many brave Shoots that the University of Cambridge then produced As Denny Châ—ke Haddon Ascham Ponet Cecil and some others that for their Merits and Parts were transplanted to the Court His Profession was the Civil Law and he was the first Regius Professor of it in the University placed therein by the Royal Founder King Henry VIII whose Scholar he was But tho' that were his Profession yet he was a Man of General Learning He was a great Platonist Which Noble and Useful Philosophy he and Cheke brought into Study in the University accustomed before to the crabbed barbarous useless Schoolmen Haddon speaking to him of Plato calleth him Plato tuus Your Plato who he told him called upon him to serve his Country and to be ready too to give it all that he had received from it He understood Physic well In his Oration for the Queens Marrying against him that had declaimed for her single Life and among other Reasons for it urged the Diseases and Infirmities that attended Child-bearing he asserted on the contrary how it preserved Women from Diseases and other Inconveniences and cleared their Bodies amended their Colour and prolonged their Health and undertook to bring the Authorities and Reasons of Physic for it And when in March 1574. the Lord Treasurer had a sit of an Ague Smith shewed his skill that Way by the Judgement that he made of it saying That he trusted it was but Diaria coming of a sudden Obstruction in the Pores of his Skin as he told him by Cold That which in a rare Body and tenderly kept must needs be till either by Evaporation or Sweat the same be opened again And so he hoped that now that Lord had but the weariness of that Accident and no formed Ague His Skill herein also appeared in his Discoursing so learnedly of his own Distemper as we heard before And here I will set down a Recipe I find in
This Seat now flourisheth in Plenty Reputation and Honour possessed by the Line of his Younger Brother Whereby Sir Thomas Smith's Name and Memory still Lives according to his Design and Intent in that Structure And tho' it wants nothing in the Inside as well as the Out to adorn and beautifie it yet the choicest Furniture is an excellent Original of the Builder hanging up in the Parlour with these two Verses written round the frame of the Picture Cernitur Essigies factis vera at Penicillus Corporis atque umbrae tâ—ntum simulacra râ—poâ— And underneath LOVE AND FEAR Aetat 〈◊〉 xxxiii Having no Child his Lady enjoyed this Manor of Mounthaut or Mounthal for her Life and then it descended to his Brothers Son Sir William Smith Son of George a brave Gentleman and Soldier in Ireland being a Colonel there Till having attained to Thirty Years of Age he returned into England and possest his Deceased Uncles Estate He married into the Family of Fleetwood of the Vache in Backs and had divers Issue And was of great Figure and Service in the County of Essex All which may be better known by the Inscription upon a Noble Monument for himself and his Lady set up on the Southside of the Chancel opposite to that of Sir Tho. Smith his Uncle Which was as follows To theâ—pious Memory of her Loved and Loving Husband Sir William Smith of Hilhal in the County of Essex Knight Who till he was Thirty Years old followed the Wars in Ireland with such Approbation that he was â—â—osen one of the Colonels of the Army But his Uncle Sir Thomas Chancellor of the Garter and Principal Secretary of State 〈◊〉 two Princes King Edward VI. and the late Queen Elizabeth of famous Memory dying he returned to a full and fair Inheritance And so bent himself to the Affairs of the Country that he grew alike famous in the Arts of Peace as War All Offices there sorted with a man of his Quality he right worshipfully performed and dyed one of the Deputy Lieutenants of the 〈◊〉 A Place of no small Trust and Credit Bridget his unfortunate Widow who during the time of Thirty Seven Years bare 〈◊〉 three Sons and four Daughters Daughter of Thomas Fleetwood of the Vache 〈◊〉 the County of Bucks Esquire and sometime time Master of the Mint to allay her Languer and Longing after so dear a Companion of her Life rather to express her Affection than his Office this Monument erected Destinating it to her self their Children and Posterity He lived Years Seventy Six Died the 12. of Decemb. 1626. CHAP. XVIII Sir Thomas Smith's Vertuous Accomplishments WE have seen Sir Thomas in his Secular Circumstances as his Learning Wealth and Honour made him lookt upon and admired in the Eye of the World But what doth all this Confer to the true Reputation of a man without inward vertuous Qualifications These were other and better things that added a Lustre and Glory to our Knight For his Learning was accompanied with Religion and his Honour became more illustrious by the excellent Accomplishments of his Mind He was brought up in the Profession of the Gospel from his tender years and ever after stuck to it and professed it and that openly and as he had Occasion delivered and rescued good men from the Persecutions and Dangers that Religion exposed them to tho' he thereby sometimes ran himself into no small hazzard He lost his Preferments upon the Change of Religion under Queen Mary when if he had been minded to have complyed he might have had what he pleased But he was of a stout and constant Mind When he was in Place and Office abroad or in the Court the Principles he governed himself by were Truth and Integrity an inviolable Love to Justice and righteous Dealing a most unchangeable Faithfulness and Zeal to the Concerns of his Queen and Country His Life and Manners were unreproveable of a grave and yet obliging Behaviour And sometimes he would take the Liberty to be ingeniously merry and cheerful among his Friends A perfect stranger he was to the Practices of some Courtiers namely to those of Fraud and Falsehood Flattery and Treachery Vice and Corrupt Manners Such a Description do the Muses in their ears give him Non Fraude Dâ—love Non ullo vicius Fuco Patriaeque suisque Regâ—nâ—quâ— suae fidus nâ—n perfidus ulli At fidus cunclis Cato viâ—â— mâ—ribus ore Sincerus sine Fraude bonus â—â—ne suspicione Neâ— lâ—vitate vacans sic gravitate severus Ut tamâ—n atque jocos admitteret atque lepores Innocuos nihilumque prius sibi duceret Aequo Atque Bono cui se suaque omnia vota sacravit And again the same Muses shewing the Reasons of his safety under the rigorous Times of Queen Mary notwithstanding he would not change nor dissemble his Faith nor comply with the Religion that was uppermost give us a Relation of his Vertues which shone so bright that with them he did as it were charm the Government to spare him Nec tamen interea parti assentarier ulli Nec simulare Fidem nec dissimulare solebat Mirifica Virtute omnes Gravitate colenda Moribus antiquis Charitum Aonidumque Favore Numine coelesti non Impietate nec Arte Illicita nec Perfidia neque Fraudibus ullis Vir bonus sapiens qualem vix repperit altrum Phaebus Apollo unquam sibi conciliabat amicos But as there is nothing so good but will find Accusers and Slanderers so it happened to him For his Excellences created him Envy and Enviers And some there were in King Edward's time that laid several gross Vices to his charge but most unjustly As tho' he were proud a Lover of Money and that for the sake of it he extorted and opprest that he was a Buyer and Seller of Spiritual Preferments and chopt and changed Lands Finally that in the Changes of Religion he was a Complier But these were all most false Calumniations but such as he was fain to write some Sheets of Paper to vindicate himself of whereby he was forced to set forth his own Vertues unwillingly His Spirit was brave and great being a Man of a resolute and Active Mind Faithful and Diligent when Ambassador and Secretary Somewhat hasty and impatient when public Matters went not as they ought being hindred by designing men for private Profit or secret Grudge And so I find him somewhere describing himself when Haughtiness was once laid to his Charge I cannot deny but I am of Nature hault of Courage and stomach to contemn all Perils and worldly things or Dangers to do my Master Service and likely more would be but that I am by such things he means Accusations and Slanders sometime plucked back and so again contented to rule my self being able I thank God to serve in the Body and Thilles as Carters call it as well as in the Room of a Forehorse His Apparel was usually good and like a Courtier For
marry shortly would send a Prince if you should once wish dead all Men might justly abhor you to the Death VVhat could you wish more if Domitian or Nero if Maximine or C. Caligula did Reign over us than that which the Soldiers did say when they slew their Children Ex mah genere ne catulum quidem relinquendum And because you come with what is good to God-ward and you take your sure Rule that which pleaseth God is best I pray you what is the Promise that he maketh to David If thy Sons walk before me saith he in truth with all their hearts thou shalt not want one who shall come out of thy Loins to sit upon the Throne of Israel And to Iebu for the zelous Revenge of Ahab's Iniquity that his Sons should sit upon the Throne of Israel to the fourth Generation Again What threatneth he to Saul for his Rebellion other than that the Kingdom should be translated from him and his Sons should not Reign after him To Ieroboam to Baasa and Achab for their Idolatry and Wickedness but that he would not leave of their Posterity one to piss against the Wall So that it may appear a Blessing of God a token of Faith in God and good Favour of God towards Princes when he sendeth them of their own Seed to Reign after them As the Contrary of Disfavour and Discontentment of God toward them when he cutteth off their Generation and leaveth them without Posterity and Issue of their Bodies to Reign after them Then if it be a Blessing to Princes to have Children to Inherit after them which sheweth the Favour of God it is a Curse to have no Posterity or the Posterity cut off which sheweth the Disfavour of God as appeareth most manifestly by these Examples of Scripture And Sole Life bringeth the Curse and want of Posterity and no other thing can bring the Blessing of lawful Children but Matrimony Why then may not I conclude by this judgment of Scripture that Matrimony in a Prince is that Good to be allowed and that Sole Life is that Evil to be eschewed And what hath the Queens Majesty deserved at your hands I pray you that you had rather she had the Curse which fell upon Saul Hieroboam Baaza and Aehab than the Blessing which David had and Abraham Now the Second Part Mr. Agamus was so well handled and so sinely you entred into your Matter and so well you shadowed it with your Histories and Examples of such things as have been done before that I assure you if I had not taken a good Triacle before and tyed my self to my Mast as Vlysses did to pass by Syrenes I had been caught as a Fish with a Hook and ye had led me by the Ears whether you had would Now marking it well and not swallowing up the Bait I am able to unwind my self that same way I was brought in You put us first into a great Fear of the Queens Majesties Person Of which what good English Heart is there which will not have Care Then ye amplified great Dangers and Disquietness Exaggerated great Cares Thoughts and Griess of her Highness Mind From all which as well of Body and Soul you found but one onely Refuge and as it were a Sanctuary of Virginity and Sole-Life as my Friend here my Godfather saith This Fancy came out of the School of Monkery who when they did see the Dangers and infinite Occasions of Pleasure Displeasure Honour Ambition Contempt Riches Poverty and all other such things as did vex them when they remained abroad and in the Common-wealth which was able to bring them from the true trade of Vertue and to bring them unto Vice and peradventure had once or twice don so already wherby they knew themselves the better of what Mettal they were made And then saw nothing of Monks and Friars but their Holy Coat their Becks and their Ducks and their Religions Words they thought that there was none other way to Heaven but to run into their Cloisters Where they thought they were so sure and the Gates so well kept that there could no Vice get in And when they were there as fast locked in as th' other they found themselves so well eased as the Fish that leapt out of the Frying-Pan into the Burning Coals Or as they that be Sea-sick when they come out of the Great Ship into the little Cock-Boat I wis their Choler goeth with them and till they come a-land they sind small case in the Chaunge Ye make a Mervaillous Matter of Danger in Womens Bearing of Children which ye exaggerated so much that when I heard I began to tremble with my self as to take their leave of the Church to prepare for present Death to fight hand to hand with Death without a Custrel or any Esquire to be in more danger than in a Foughten Field where Trumpets blow the Clarions sound the Guns thunder the Noise of the stroaks the Clashing of Armour the Clattering of Harness the Braying of the Horses the Groaning of Men Dying and the Gasping of the Dead teacheth almost to Heaven I thought I had been at the Battel of Muskleborough or Agincourt But when I looked again and saw so many fair Ladies so goodly Gentlewomen so fine and so trim Maids pas these Pykes so wel not once only but twice thrice yea sometimes twenty times so easily so merrily so quietly in their sine Beds of Down their Chambers hanged with Arras their Curtains and Coverings of Silk their Pillows and Cushions Embroidered with Gold and Silver-work their Warming-Pans their Perfuming-Pans and al such things so trick and trim about them And they aâ—â—r it look so fair and ruddy and so beautiful that it would make any man in the World enamoured of them And when I marked further what hast they made to go to the Battel again I began to laugh at my self and thought that the Fear in which you put me was with a Vizor only which you had taken upon you and so made me afraid as Children be afraid of Bearbuggs and Bulbeggers Why Is not the Bearing of Children painful Is not that dangerous say you Ask not that of me but of them who be never wel til their Paniers be ful which they are sure they cannot empty til they come to this terrible Battel that ye speak of Le ts see Many of them wil leave and take Truce any longer than their Month or time of Churching cometh out Which Month some of them think it so long of four Weeks that they end it most commonly at three weeks because they might the sooner come to such another of these Conflicts So much they be afraid of it It was my Chance to be at Dinner with the Countes of Ormond with whom Sir Francis Brian maried At which time she being merrily disposed among other Communications that Ladies and Gentlewomen had of this matter she said she had now born as I remember Ten Children and she was brought